The fall of Phaethon

This dramatic scene illustrates the myth of Phaethon, son of the sun god Helios, who rashly attempted to drive his father's solar chariot across the sky. Losing control of the fiery horses, he veered too high and too low, threatening the heavens and the earth. At the center of the image, Phaethon is shown plummeting headfirst from the heavens, his body twisting in free fall. Around him, the chariot breaks apart, and the solar horses spiral in chaos, flailing in midair. Jupiter, seen herebetween the clouds, is the one who struck him down with a thunderbolt to prevent further disaster. Below, a river or sea landscape unfolds, with boats, a shoreline, and distant hills, grounding the myth in a visible world.